Compact articulation mechanism

ABSTRACT

An articulation mechanism for large scale mobile aggregate system equipment. The mechanism includes a screw device that is pivotally secured to an elongated portion of the equipment to drive its movement to and from a collapsed position. The screw device is driven by a screw jack and moved within a housing while the housing itself is pivotally secured to another portion of the equipment. Rollers within the housing may be used to stabilize the lateral movement of the screw device during the opening, closing or self-locking of the elongated portion by the mechanism.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

This Patent Document is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser.No. 15/318,509, entitled Compact Articulation Mechanism, filed on Dec.13, 2016, which in turn claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) to U.S.Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/019,294, entitled Compact ActuatedSelf-Locking Mechanism for Lifting and Lowering Heavy ArticulatedStructures, filed on Jun. 30, 2014, both of which are incorporatedherein by reference in their entirety.

BACKGROUND

Exploring, drilling and completing hydrocarbon and other wells aregenerally complicated, time consuming and ultimately very expensiveendeavors. As a result, over the years, well architecture has becomemore sophisticated where appropriate in order to help enhance access tounderground hydrocarbon reserves. For example, as opposed to wells oflimited depth, it is not uncommon to find hydrocarbon wells exceeding30,000 feet in depth. Furthermore, today's hydrocarbon wells ofteninclude deviated or horizontal sections aimed at targeting particularunderground reserves. Indeed, at targeted formation locations, it isquite common for a host of lateral legs and fractures to stem from themain wellbore of the well toward a hydrocarbon reservoir in theformation.

The above described fractures may be formed by a fracturing operation,often referred to as a stimulation operation. The stimulation orfracturing operation, involves pumping of a fracturing fluid at highpressure into the well in order to form the fractures and stimulateproduction of the hydrocarbons. The fractures may then serve as channelsthrough the formation through which hydrocarbons may reach the wellbore.The indicated fracturing fluid generally includes a solid particulatereferred to as proppant, such as sand. The proppant may act to enhancethe formation of fractures during the fracturing operation and may alsoremain primarily within fractures upon their formation. In fact, thefractures may remain open in part due to their propping open by theproppant.

The above described proppant for the fracturing operation may besupplied from a proppant delivery unit located at the oilfield near thewell. This unit is generally very large due to the amount of proppantthat may be required for any given fracturing operation. For example,where the proppant is a conventional dry sand, a fully loaded unit mayexceed half a million pounds in weight. Once more, as wells becomedeeper and of ever increasing complex architecture, efforts to provideeven larger ready supplies of proppant at the oilfield are increasinglycommon. That is, more downhole fracturing locations may be involved,thus requiring a greater available supply of proppant.

From an equipment standpoint, greater on-site or near-site supplies ofproppant may include the use of mobile silos or even larger stationarysilos that are used to gravity feed a blender therebelow. Thus, aproppant slurry may be formed and utilized in short order to supportvarious fracturing operations. As a practical manner, however, thismeans that potentially several million pounds of proppant may requiretransport and storage at a given location. Adding to this is the weightand footprint issues for the equipment itself which is necessary toallow for such a ready bulk supply.

In terms of limiting the overall footprint, a variety of systems may beavailable. For example, systems may be utilized in which smallersilo-like storage containers are transported to the oilfield and thenerected to a vertical position. Thus, the footprint of the equipment maybe reduced due to the vertical orientation and follow-on gravityfeeding, mixing and use of a frac slurry may ensue.

Unfortunately, while this does address footspace issues to a degree,erecting a proppant loaded silo has its practical limitations. Forexample, erecting more than a few million pounds of a proppant filledsilo may be impractical with conventionally available hydraulics. Thus,on larger job sites with more fracturing operations, the need to deliverseveral such small loaded silos may exist.

As an alternative to delivering small loaded silos, efforts have beenundertaken to install larger, more permanent silos that may be emptywhen installed but subsequently filled with proppant for use at theoilfield. Again, the vertical orientation of such on-site silos helpskeep footspace devoted to fracturing equipment to a minimum. Once more,such larger silos may be gravity fed and outfitted with mixing equipmentand other features therebelow for ongoing operational use. However,setting up and filling these larger silos with proppant may come withchallenges as well.

For example, in order to maximize efficiencies in terms of set up timeand filling, unique modular forms of equipment may be employed. Morespecifically, a mobile compacted silo base frame may be positioned atthe oilfield with a truck, unfolded and utilized as the foundation forthe erection of a multi-unit silo thereover. Similarly, mobile compactedelevators with extendable auger arms may be positioned at the oilfieldwith another truck, vertically erected, and later utilized to transferproppant from delivery trucks to the silo. In this way, a much greateramount of proppant may be made available at the oilfield site in a spacesaving fashion.

The process of unfolding the silo base frame or extending the auger armsface the unique challenge of re-orienting or articulating severalthousand pounds of tension within a compact limited space of operation.That is, unlike erecting an elevator to a vertical position, the spacefor accommodating large scale hydraulics is unavailable for wings of thesilo base frame and/or the auger arms.

SUMMARY

An articulation mechanism is provided as a support to a hinge at aninterface between elongated portions of oilfield aggregate deliveryequipment. The mechanism includes a screw device that has one endpivotally secured to a first of the elongated portions but insecure atan opposite end thereof. A housing is additionally provided about thescrew device and is located between the device ends for stablyaccommodating the device therethrough. Thus, it is the housing that issecured to a second of the elongated portions. Further, a screw jack maybe coupled to the housing between the ends of the device for sake oflateral and substantially locking engagement therewith.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is a side partially-sectional view of an embodiment of a compactarticulation mechanism with a screw device thereof in a retractedlateral position.

FIG. 1B is a side partially-sectional view of the articulation mechanismof FIG. 1A with the screw device in an extended lateral position.

FIG. 2 is a perspective overview of an aggregate silo system withmultiple hinge locations incorporating the mechanism with screw deviceof FIGS. 1A and 1B.

FIG. 3A is a rear view of a mobile base frame for the system of FIG. 2with a screw device of the mechanism in a retracted and locked lateralposition for frame transport.

FIG. 3B is a perspective view of the articulation mechanism embodimentof FIG. 3A with the screw device in an extended lateral position.

FIG. 3C is a rear view of the mobile base frame of FIG. 3A with thescrew device in an extended lateral position for frame deployment.

FIG. 4A is a side perspective view of a mobile auger unit for the systemof FIG. 2 with a screw device of the mechanism in an extended lateralposition for unit transport.

FIG. 4B is a side perspective view of the articulation mechanismembodiment of FIG. 4A with the screw device in a retracted lateralposition for auger extension from the unit.

FIG. 4C is a side perspective view of the unit of FIG. 4A raised to avertical position with the articulation mechanism locked for augersecurity.

FIG. 5 is a flow-chart summarizing an embodiment of employing anarticulation mechanism at an interface between aggregate deliveryequipment portions.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following description, numerous details are set forth to providean understanding of the present disclosure. However, it will beunderstood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments describedmay be practiced without these particular details. Further, numerousvariations or modifications may be employed which remain contemplated bythe embodiments as specifically described.

Embodiments are described with reference to certain embodiments ofcompact articulation mechanisms utilized in aggregate managementequipment. Specifically, equipment for the transport, delivery andstorage of oilfield proppant is discussed which utilizes sucharticulation mechanisms to support joints at large base frame unitswhich in turn support large scale silos as well as at auger units tosupport the extension of auger arms for proppant delivery. However,other uses for such compact articulation mechanisms may be employed. Forexample, outrigger support frames, ramps, fracturing blender assembliesand other heavy jointed oilfield equipment may incorporate embodimentsof such articulation mechanisms. Indeed, so long as the mechanismincorporates a screw jack and screw device that substantially locks andin which one end of the device is pivotally secured to one of theelongated portions defining the joint but the other end is leftinsecure, appreciable benefit may be realized. That is, a uniquecompactness may be provided with such configurations where the other ofthe elongated portions defining the joint is instead pivotally securedto a housing about the device as detailed herebelow.

Referring now to FIGS. 1A and 1B, a side partially-sectional view of anembodiment of a compact articulation mechanism 100 is shown. Thearticulation mechanism 100 may be utilized to support a joint betweenadjacent elongated portions of large scale oilfield equipment. Forexample, a joint may be found between a frame 210, 335 and extendable orcollapsable wings 330 or auger arms 275 relative thereto (see FIGS. 3Aand 4A). Such an articulation mechanism 100 may be utilized to stablysupport the sizable weight of such features during extending orcollapsing thereof. Once more, the mechanism 100 may provide secureimmobilization or locking in place of such features even in absence ofany ongoing extending or collapsing.

As shown in FIG. 1A, the mechanism 100 includes a screw device 110 thatis shown in a retracted lateral position. More specifically, withrespect to a surrounding extension housing 150 of the mechanism 100, thedevice 110 is shown substantially retracted thereinto. To the contrary,in the depiction of FIG. 1B, the screw device is shown noticeablyextended laterally out of the housing 150.

As the screw device 110 moves laterally to varying degrees, from oneposition to another, the housing 150 utilizes rollers 140 to enhancestability of the device 110. Enhancing stability may be of substantialbenefit where a significant load is secured to the exposed end 175 ofthe screw device 110. For example, in the embodiment shown, the exposedend 175 includes a clevis connection 185 for pivotally securing to aheavy articulated or elongated portion of equipment as alluded to above.Thus, during lateral movement of the screw device 110, a degree ofstabilization is provided at one location by the noted rollers 140. Theadded stability here may substantially eliminate any bending load on thescrew device 110 from the secured articulated portion of equipment asdetailed below.

In addition to the stabilization provided by the rollers 140, the screwdevice 110 is laterally moved backward or forward into or out of thehousing 150 by a screw jack 120. Thus, the engagement of a threadedregion 112 of the screw device 110 with the screw jack 120 providesanother location of stabilization for the device 110. That is, unlikethe exposed end 175, the opposite end of the screw device 110 remainsinsecure relative another elongated portion of equipment such as a frame210, 335, wing 330, or auger arm 275 (see FIGS. 3A and 4A). Instead,this other equipment portion may be pivotally secured to the housing 150as detailed further below. Regardless, additional stability is providedto the screw device 110 through the engagement of the threaded region112 with the screw jack 120. In the embodiment shown, the screw jack 120may be of an about twenty ton to about forty ton variety, although screwjacks of other ratings may also be employed.

In the embodiment shown, the insecure end of the device 110 which mayinclude the threaded region 112 may recede into a cylindrical protectivecovering 125. This covering 125 may serve to keep the surface of thethreaded region 112 shielded from debris. However, in this embodiment,the covering 125 may not be relied upon for any substantial supportivefunctionality.

Utilizing a screw jack 120 to linearly or laterally move the screwdevice 120 between a retracted position as shown in FIG. 1A and anextended position as shown in FIG. 1B provides certain additionaladvantages. For example, unlike extending a conventional hydraulic arm,the need for a constant supply of power may be avoided due to theself-locking nature of the mechanism as detailed further below. Oncemore, the space requirements for a screw jack 120 are comparativelycompact. That is, a large range of motion is available from themechanism 100 via the screw jack 120. This is illustrated in thecomparison of the different positions of the screw device 110 whenmoving from the retracted positon of FIG. 1A to the extended position ofFIG. 1B. It is clear that nearly the entirety of the threaded region 112advances through the screw jack 120 for the sake of a stroke thatextends the device 110.

The self-locking nature of the screw jack 120 may be inherent in suchdevice types depending on the gear ratio involved. For example, asindicated above, the threaded region 112 of the screw device 110 engagesthe jack 120 which is used to rotatably extend or retract the device 110in a lateral fashion. More specifically, the jack 120 includes a bearingmounted rotatable nut (not shown) or other matching threaded featureabout the threaded region 112. This feature is rotatably driven by ahydraulic or other conventional compact motor 130 to laterally extend orretract the screw device 110 depending on the direction of rotation ofthe feature. Thus, as is the case with such gear-driven mechanisms, avariety of gear ratio options may be available in driving such arotation. For example, the gear ratio may be 2 to 1, 50 to 1, or anynumber of ratios in between or even outside of such ranges.

For embodiments detailed herein, the jack 120 is utilized to stablysupport opening, closing or otherwise supporting elongated equipmentportions of potentially several thousand pounds in an environmentinvolving a fair amount of vibration. Thus, it is advantageous toutilize a screw jack 120 which is likely to demonstrate a substantially“self-locking” nature. By way of specific example, in such anenvironment, a 30 ton jack 120 with a gear ratio of 32 to 1 would besubstantially self-locking. That is, in spite of the weight and tensioninvolved, and even the potential vibrating nature of the environment,the likelihood of the jack 120 being backdriven with the elongatedequipment falling, lowering or becoming unsupported would be negligible.

Once more, this substantially self-locking nature of the articulationmechanism 100 does not require a constant power supply to achieve.Rather, the power supplied through the motor 130 may simply be turnedoff whenever the screw device 110 is in the appropriate lateral positionand the joint will remain supported or “locked”. This is illustrated inthe embodiments detailed below where heavy elongated wings 330 arelocked in place by an articulation mechanism 100 for sake of transportor where elongated auger arms 275 are locked in position by anothermechanism 100 for delivery of aggregate (see FIGS. 4A and 4C).

In an embodiment, another stabilizing feature of the articulationmechanism 100 is found in the fact that the extension housing 150 may besubstantially rectangular, for sake of accommodating rollers 140 atmultiple flat surfaces thereof as shown. This rectangular shape of thehousing 150 also receives a matching rectangular shape of the screwdevice 110. That is, while the threaded region 112 of the screw device110 is provided for engaging the screw jack 120 as described above, itdoes not rotate as this function is provided by the jack 120 itself asdescribed above. Therefore, a rectangular region 114 of the device 110may be provided for securably moving linearly within the rectangularhousing 150. Thus, as the device 110 moves from position to position, itdoes so stably with a reduced likelihood of rotation or otherdestabilizing motion.

Referring now to FIG. 2, a perspective overview of an aggregate silosystem 225 is shown. The system 225 includes multiple hinge locationswhere the articulation mechanism 100 of FIGS. 1A and 1B may be utilized.Specifically, with added reference to FIGS. 3C and 4C, a mobile baseframe 230 and auger unit 220 are shown following tractor-type deliverywith elongated equipment portions in the form of wings 330 and augerarms 275 are found. As alluded to above, using articulation mechanisms100 as an aid to deploying these features may be of substantial benefitgiven their heavy articulated nature.

As a practical matter, safety concerns for operators at the worksite 200are evident given the massive scale involved. For example, apart fromthe multiple ton mobile base frame 230 and auger unit 220, a comparablymassive mobile mixing equipment 240 is provided for docking to and/orsupporting several ton capacity silo units 250 which accommodateaggregate such as proppant. Thus, as each of these pieces of equipmentis installed as shown, safe and secure measures may be taken to ensureoperator safety as well as long term stability of the system 225. Alongthese lines, enhanced security is provided in large measure to the wings330 and auger arms 275 via the articulation mechanisms 100.

Continuing with reference to FIG. 2, the silo system 225 is set up bydelivery of the base or mobile base frame 230 to the worksite 200. Wingsor extended bases 330 of the frame 230 are deployed to the positiondepicted with aid of an articulation mechanism 100. As detailed furtherbelow, this articulation mechanism 100 is of particular benefit duringtransport of the frame 230. Regardless, mobile mixing equipment 240 andauger unit 220 are positioned as shown. Specifically, the auger unit 220is positioned in a collapsed form followed by extension of the augerarms 275 with aid of another articulation mechanism 100 and raising ofan elevator 210 via hydraulic arms 215. Thus, at some point, deliverytrucks may be driven over folding ramps 219 to drop proppant or otheraggregate onto a conveyor belt 217 which sends the proppant over to theelevator 210 and eventually to the auger arms 275 and chutes 280 forfilling of the silo 250. As a result, the in-place mixing equipment 240may be used to provide a slurry of the proppant on an as needed and longterm basis at the worksite 200.

In the embodiment shown, the conveyor belt 217 is folded prior to use.However, it may be unfolded for use as described. Additionally, in anembodiment, the belt 217 may be more of a telescoping configuration.

Referring now to FIG. 3A, a rear view of a mobile base frame 230 isshown for the system 225 of FIG. 2. In this depiction, multiplearticulation mechanisms 100 are shown with their screw devices 110 in aretracted and locked lateral position. That is, recalling that themechanisms 100 may be self-locking in nature, they may be used to lockthe heavy wings 330 in place for transport. Further, keeping in mindthat the mobile base frame 230 may be a truck/tractor driven assembly ofextremely high weight; as a matter of safety, the mechanisms 100 areconfigured such that maximum stability is provided during transport. Forexample, the wings 330 which are folded up for transport may each weigh15,000 to 25,000 lbs. or more. Thus, it is advantageous during transportthat the mechanisms 100 secure the wings 330 upright for transport whilehaving the screw devices 110 retracted and of most secure and stabilizedpositioning within the extension housing 150 (e.g. see FIG. 1A). Indeed,even though the load of the wings 330 is likely to be minimal on thedevices 110 during routine transport, the possibility of wind, accidentsor other potential issues remain. Thus, maximum reliability and securityof the mechanisms 100 in terms of retaining the wings 330 in a foldedupright position as shown, is of particular benefit during transport.

Continuing now with added reference to FIG. 3B, a perspective view ofone of the articulation mechanisms 100 of FIG. 3A is shown.Specifically, the mechanism 100 is shown with the screw device 110shifted to an extended lateral position. In this depiction, the curved“boomerang” shape of supplemental links 320, 350 is apparent. That is,as the screw 110 extends from the housing 150 as driven by the motor 130and screw jack 120, a joint 360 of these links 320, 350 opens upallowing them to provide added support. Specifically, a secondary link320 is pivotally secured to the clevis connection 185 (see FIG. 1A) ofthe wing 330 whereas the primary link 350 is pivotally secured to thehousing 150. Thus, added stability is provided as the wing 330 isunfolded from the transport orientation shown if FIG. 3A to the deployedpositioning shown in FIG. 3C discussed below. It is of note that theprimary link 350 is pivotally secured to the housing 150 at asubstantially central location thereof. However, in other embodiments,such as the auger arms 275 discussed above and further below, thehousing 150 may include pivotal connection at more of an offset location(e.g. see 180 of FIG. 4A).

Continuing now with added reference to FIG. 3C, a rear view of themobile base frame 230 of FIG. 3A is shown with the screw device 110 inits fully extended lateral position and secured to the wings 330, nowfully deployed. In this view, the full range of motion provided by thearticulation mechanisms 100 is readily apparent. Additionally, it isworth noting that the maximum load placed on the articulation mechanisms100 by the wings 330, just prior to the wings 330 reaching the groundfor support, may approach 35,000 lbs. or more. Yet, at this time, theframe 230 is in position for deployment as opposed to on the road fortransport. Thus, from a safety standpoint, this is a uniquely opportunetime for the mechanisms 100 to experience such a load, if needed.

Continuing now with reference to FIG. 4A, a side perspective view of amobile auger unit 220 for the system of FIG. 2 is shown. Specifically,the articulation mechanism 100 is depicted with the screw device 110thereof in an extended lateral position. That is, unlike the screwdevice 110 for the articulation mechanism 100 of the base frame 230 ofFIG. 3A, the device 110 for the auger unit 220 is extended duringtransport. This is because the heavy elongated auger arms 275 arealready naturally horizontally secure during transport as shown, incontrast to the elongated wings 330 of FIG. 3A. As a result, the morestable and secure positioning of the screw device 110, retracted towithin the housing 150 may instead be utilized where it is of greateradvantage (e.g. when the arms 275 are locked open during use as shown inFIG. 4C).

Continuing with reference to FIG. 4A, as indicated above, the unit 220is shown folded up for transport with the elevator 210 and arms 275 bothhorizontally secure to a mobile tractor bed. The screw jack 120 of thearticulation mechanism 100 may be of a gear ratio to effectively lockthe screw device 110 in position as shown. Specifically, the device 110may hold the clevis connection 185 (see FIG. 1A) of the arms 275 inplace, preventing any extending movement of the arms 275 about anelevator pivot location 450. Nevertheless, as alluded to above anddetailed further below, once in position for deployment, hydraulic lines420 may direct a hydraulic motor 130 at the screw jack 120 to retractthe screw device 110 over the rollers 140 and into the housing 150. Inan embodiment, the screw jack 120 may be driven by an electric motor, apneumatic motor, or manually driven with a crank (of appropriate sizefor the torque required to retract the screw drive 110), as will beappreciated by those skilled in the art.

With added reference to FIG. 4B, retracting the screw device 110 intothe housing 150 may take place until the arms 275 are raised and lockedinto the vertical position shown. Of course, in other embodiments, thenature of the articulation mechanism 100 is such that the arms 275 maybe raised beyond vertical or 90° should this be desirable. Regardless,as the arms 275 raise, they are articulated about the noted elevatorpivot location 450 and the threaded region 112 of the screw device 110is pulled into the protective covering 125 as described above. At thistime, the housing 150 may rotate to a degree about the offset clevis 180as also described above. Perhaps most notably though, the articulationmechanism 100 achieves this motion while taking on a significant load.For example, each arm 275 may be 12 to 14 feet long and weigh severalthousand pounds. Just as the arms 275 begin to raise, the load on thescrew device 110 and mechanism 100 from the arms 275 may exceed 20,000lbs., eventually settling down to a load of 5,000-10,000 lbs. onceraised to a rested vertical position as shown. Nevertheless, the uniquenature of the screw jack 120 is such that sufficient power for themaneuver may be readily obtained from a small scale, compact hydraulicmotor 130 as shown.

Referring now to FIG. 4C, a side perspective view of the unit 220 ofFIG. 4A is shown raised to a vertical position. That is, the elevator210 of the unit 220 is fully raised up while the articulation mechanism100 remains locked in place, allowing the auger arms 275 to take on ahorizontal orientation.

With added reference to FIG. 2, raising of the elevator 210 in thismanner may be achieved through conventional hydraulic arms 215.Regardless, once in position, the auger arms 275 may be used to deliveraggregate such as proppant to the silos 250 of the system 225. Thus, theload on the articulation mechanism 100 may be quite significant. Forexample, holding the arms 275 alone in this manner may place severalthousand pounds of tension on the mechanism 100. However, once filledwith a proppant such as bauxite, the overall tension may exceed 45,000lbs. and for an extended period of use (e.g. as the proppant isdelivered to the system 225). Thus, in this particular embodiment, it isadvantageous to extend the arms 275 by retraction of the screw device110 into the housing 150 where maximum stability is achieved for themechanism 100.

Referring now to FIG. 5, a flow-chart is shown summarizing an embodimentof employing an articulation mechanism at a joint between an elongatedportion and other aggregate delivery equipment portions. Specifically,large-scale equipment may be delivered to a worksite in a collapsedfashion as indicated at 510. In cases where it is most advantageous forthe delivery to include use of an articulation mechanism with aretracted screw device, the device may then be extended as indicated at530 (e.g. see the wings 330 of FIG. 2). Alternatively, in situationswhere it is more advantageous for the screw device to be retractedduring operation, the mechanism may be extended during delivery (see thearms 275 of FIG. 2). Thus, upon delivery, the screw device may beretracted as indicated at 550.

In response to appropriate extending or retracting of the screw device,the elongated portion of the equipment may be actuated into an operatingposition as indicated at 570. For embodiments described herein, this mayinclude mobilizing a support frame or achieving a horizontal positionfor auger arms as noted. Regardless, as indicated at 590, this may befollowed by an appropriate worksite application such as securing silosat a mobilized frame or delivering proppant thereto from auger arms.

Embodiments described above allow for a more practical utilization ofon-site silos filled with proppant. That is, challenges associated withraising pre-filled silos may be avoided while also allowing for a largerscale silo system. Specifically, the modular nature of the larger scalesystem is supported by the use of compact articulation mechanisms thatrender the compact transport and subsequent deployment of sizableequipment more practical. In spite of the potentially tens of thousandsof pounds involved, embodiments of articulation mechanisms detailedhereinabove allow for deployment of a modular base frame, auger arms andother equipment in a compact and practical manner.

The preceding description has been presented with reference to presentlypreferred embodiments. Persons skilled in the art and technology towhich these embodiments pertain will appreciate that alterations andchanges in the described structures and methods of operation may bepracticed without meaningfully departing from the principle, and scopeof these embodiments. For example, in the embodiments detailed above, asingle articulation mechanism is depicted for a given base wing or evenfor a pair of auger arms. However, in other embodiments, the numbers maydiffer. For example, multiple articulation mechanisms may be used perbase wing or each auger arm outfitted with its own dedicated mechanism.Furthermore, the foregoing description should not be read as pertainingonly to the precise structures described and shown in the accompanyingdrawings, but rather should be read as consistent with and as supportfor the following claims, which are to have their fullest and fairestscope.

I claim:
 1. An articulation mechanism to support a hinge at an interfacebetween an elongated portion of oilfield aggregate management equipmentand another portion of the equipment, the mechanism comprising: a screwdevice with an exposed end pivotally secured to the elongated portion; ahousing about a first region of the screw device for stablyaccommodating at least the first region therethrough, the first regionhaving at least one flat side, the housing being pivotally secured tothe other portion of the equipment; a screw jack coupled to the housingand about a second region of the screw device for threadable engagementwith the second region therethrough for lateral and substantiallylocking engagement therewith; and a plurality of rollers coupled withthe housing at a position to engage the at least one flat side of thescrew device to stabilize the articulation mechanism.
 2. Thearticulation mechanism of claim 1 wherein the housing is rectangular foraccommodating a rectangular configuration of the first region, thesecond region being threaded for the threadable engagement.
 3. Thearticulation mechanism of claim 1 wherein the plurality of rollersengages a plurality of flat sides of the screw device to support thefirst region as it moves through the housing.
 4. The articulationmechanism of claim 2 further comprising a protective covering forreceiving the threaded second region therein.
 5. The articulationmechanism of claim 1 further comprising a motor to provide power to thescrew jack for engaged movement of the second region to laterally movethe screw device.
 6. The articulation mechanism of claim 1 wherein thejack screw is of a substantially self-locking gear ratio to support thelocking engagement.
 7. The articulation mechanism of claim 1 wherein thehousing is pivotally secured to the other equipment portion by one of anoffset clevis connection and a supplemental link between the housing andthe other equipment portion.
 8. The articulation mechanism of claim 7wherein the housing includes the offset clevis connection to the otherequipment portion and the elongated portion is at least one auger arm.9. The articulation mechanism of claim 7 wherein the supplemental linkis a primary link, the mechanism further comprising a secondary linkpivotally secured to the primary link and to the elongated portion. 10.The articulation mechanism of claim 7 wherein the housing is pivotallysecured to the other equipment portion by the supplemental link and theelongated portion of the equipment is a wing of a base frame unit. 11.The articulation mechanism of claim 1 further comprising: a silo forhousing aggregate; the silo constituting the oilfield aggregatemanagement equipment.
 12. The articulation mechanism of claim 11 whereinthe aggregate is a proppant for use in a fracturing application at anoilfield.
 13. The articulation mechanism of claim 11, wherein thearticulation mechanism further comprises a plurality of rollers coupledwith the housing at a position to engage the screw device during lateralmovement of the screw device.
 14. The articulation mechanism of claim 11wherein the housing is rectangular for accommodating a rectangularconfiguration of the screw device.
 15. The articulation mechanism ofclaim 14 wherein the plurality of rollers engages a plurality of flatsides of the screw device to support the screw device as it moveslaterally with respect to the housing.
 16. The articulation mechanism ofclaim 1 further comprising: mobile equipment for use at a wellsite, themobile equipment constituting the oilfield aggregate managementequipment.
 17. The articulation mechanism of claim 16 wherein theplurality of rollers engages a plurality of flat sides of the screwdevice.
 18. The articulation mechanism of claim 16 wherein the housinghas a rectangular internal configuration to accommodate a portion of thescrew device having a rectangular cross-section.
 19. The articulationmechanism of claim 16 wherein the mobile equipment comprises aggregatehandling equipment for use in a fracturing operation.